


is this goodbye?

by starsandfluff



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Kissing, Mostly Canon Compliant, One Shot, Romance, except for some of 8x06, i can be your family, i promise it's not actually a goodbye, m'lady teasing, m'lord teasing, sorta goodbye
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2020-04-08 02:39:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19098070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsandfluff/pseuds/starsandfluff
Summary: Arya visits Gendry in the forge one last time, or so they think.





	is this goodbye?

**Author's Note:**

> Okay I totally wrote this in one go really fast (the dialogue at least) so I hope you still like it. I never have anyone beta read any of my fics, I kinda just give them a once over then post them. I didn't feel like writing today but then I opened a doc and then the dialogue for this just came pouring out since we gendryas never got any real closure from the finale. Anyway, I really hope you enjoy reading this!

“Is this goodbye?” Gendry asked, looking up at Arya in the dimly lit Winterfell forge.

“I guess,” Arya said, stepping closer, her face twisted in an unreadable expression.

“Will you write?”

“Gendry, you can’t read,”

“Still?” He asked, bending down to see if there was a hint of a smile on her face, but he didn’t find one.

“I can’t—” Arya sobbed, biting on her lip to try and stop the tears. _Why do goodbyes have to be so fucking awful?_ She thought.

“Hey, you’re okay,” Gendry said, a bit taken aback by her tears. He wrapped his arms around her and she pressed her face into his chest.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she said through the tears.

“I know, I know,” Gendry said, clutching her tight to his chest, almost afraid to let go.

“I love you, I’ve always loved you”

“I love you, too,” Gendry said, feeling his heart break once again. _Then why do you have to leave me?_ He felt tempted to ask, but he knew it wouldn’t be fair or help either of them.

“Just don’t … don’t wait for me. I’m not gonna be coming back,” Arya said, releasing herself from the hug to look him in the eye. “Promise me, Gendry!”

“I promise,” Gendry said, disappointment and defeat clear on his face. She was stubborn, just like she’d always been, just like him. He’d never be able to persuade her. “I promise I won’t wait for you. I just want you know, before you leave and all, I never wanted you to be a lady. From the moment you told me who you really were I knew you weren’t just some highborn. I was drunk, Arya, okay? I thought this lordship meant I was good enough for you or something—”

“You’ve always been enough for me, Gendry,” Arya interrupted. She took his hand in hers and squeezed tightly.

“I know that now. It’s just, you have to know that I was never asking you to be something you’re not. I just, I just wanted to be with you, not Lady Arya, _you._ You don’t have to change to hold the title of a lady. I mean, you met Lady Mormont, didn’t you? And Ser Brienne?” Gendry’s eyes, which had just been full of defeat, lit up once again with hope, just like the night of the feast and proposal. Arya thought she could stare into those sparkling, blue eyes for the rest of her life. _It would never work,_ Arya reminded herself.

“I’ve never been a lady, you’ve always known that”

“You don’t have to be that kind of lady, you can just be you, you can just be with me. Arya, be my _family_ ,” Gendry said, pleadingly. He was crouching down slightly, bringing himself down to her level. Her breath was hot on his face as he brought himself closer to her.

“I can be your family,” Arya finally said as the tears she was holding back fell down her cheeks. Gendry resisted the urge to kiss them away and instead lightly wiped them away, his hand lingering on her cheek.

“Always,” He said, resting his forehead on hers.

“Always,” She agreed. “We’re not getting married straight away though, right?”

“Of course not, m’lady,”

“Don’t call—”

“Actually,” Gendry said, ignoring the playful anger on her face. “you’re a princess now, twice over,”

“Gendry, no—”

“I’m sorry, your Highness,” Gendry bowed mockingly, and Arya shoved him backwards. “now that’s not very princess-like,” Gendry pulled her back in his arms, smirking at her reaction. Arya closed her eyes as they rested their foreheads together, breathing each other in. Gendry moved closer, still hesitant, and lightly brushed against her lips as if to ask if she was sure. Arya replied by leaning in to kiss him, her hand on the back of his neck to bring him closer, and Gendry gladly deepened the kiss.

“I love you,” she said between kisses. “m’lord,” Arya added, and Gendry looked at her annoyedly.

“Shut up,” he said, leaning in to softly kiss her. “I love you, too,”

**Author's Note:**

> I've never wanted Gendry to wait for Arya and be like Robert, but I also didn't like how the proposal was written just for Arya to reject it. She can totally be a lady w/o having to be all ladylike. Also we were totally robbed (among other things) of her calling him "m'lord" or him calling her "your highness." Thank you for reading my little one-shot and I hope you liked it!


End file.
